Irish lawyer Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh is reportedly advising South Africa’s legal team in its case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
South Africa has charged Israel with committing acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Ms Ní Ghrálaigh, a London-based lawyer, is one of two external advocates supporting the legal team, according to Irish Legal News and South Africa's TimesLIVE.
Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh
Ms Ní Ghrálaigh previously worked as a legal observer on the Bloody Sunday Inquiry in Northern Ireland. She then worked for a firm representing many of the families of Bloody Sunday victims.
She has won several awards, including International Law Junior of the Year award in the 2022-2023 Legal 500 Bar Awards.
Her local cases include rights to freedom of expression and freedom to protest, discrimination and equality, and international law.
She previously appeared in the ICJ on behalf of Croatia for its claims of genocide against Serbia in 2015. Serbia made a counterclaim of genocide by Croatia and both cases were dismissed.
South Africa v Israel
Irish Senators Lynn Ruane, Frances Black, Alice-Mary Higgins and Eileen Flynn have called on Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin to join South Africa in its case against Israel.
“South Africa's application to the Court presents a rigorous legal argument that Israel has consistently and flagrantly breached international law and specifically the Genocide Convention by its actions over the last number of months,” they said in a statement.
“As a State party to the Convention, Ireland has an obligation to ensure it is being upheld and, in this context, has a clear and urgent responsibility to initiate proceedings or join in the proceedings initiated by South Africa at the Court.”
Senator Frances Black posted online that Ireland cannot "passively call for a ceasefire".
Genocide charges
The South African legal team challenging the Israeli state will appear in the Hague for its first hearing on January 11th.
South Africa has said statements made by Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have demonstrated “genocidal intent” against Palestinians.
More than 22,000 people have been killed in Gaza since violence escalated between Israel and Hamas on October 7th, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
